Freiburg
Getting there * From Dublin Located on the French/Swiss border, the closest airport is Basel Mulhaus. Ryanair fly directly from Dublin Airport to Basel. The Airport Bus is €42 return or €26 one-way and brings you directly into the main bus and train station in Freiburg within 50 minutes. It is also possible to fly to Frankfurt or Stuttgart and travel from these Airports with Meinfernbus, however that would expand your travel time by 3 hours. Getting around * Public Transport # Trams/Buses Freiburg has a fantastic public transport system with trams and buses every five mintues on week days and every fifteen minutes on Sundays. Each tram line runs through the center of town and some run as far out as the edge of the Black Forest. Students can purchase a semester ticket for €90 which provides unlimited travel in Freiburg and in some places in the Baden Württemberg region. Check out VAG.de for more details. # Cycling Freiburg is known for its abundance of bicycles and its cyclist-friendly routes. Once you arrive in Freiburg one of the first things you should do is buy a bike. This can be done easily through Facebook and also in the FahrradMarkts (bicycle markets) which happen throughout the year (look out for posters with information on these around the town). The crime-rate in Freiburg is quite low, however the number of bicycles stolen per year is extremely high. It is advised to invest in a top-quality bike lock such as a kryptonite. This may involve spending almost as much money on a lock as you did on the bike, however it could end up saving you a lot more hassle and money in the long run. Accomodation * Student Accomodation Student accommodation or “Studenten Wohnheim” is attainable as long as you apply early. This can be done through the SWRF website.It will cost anywhere between €200-€300 per month depending on where you apply for/ receive. * Furnishing The bedrooms in the Student accommodation are very basic with a bed, desk and wardrobe. Ikea is easily accessible by the number 11 or 22 bus where you can find any other necessities. * WG-Gesucht If you are unlucky with the SWRF it is also possible to find Apartments on the WG - Gesucht website. This is a student town so you are likely to find many students looking for flat-mates. University * General Setup On arrival there is a lengthy matriculation process so have all documents handy such as passports, passport photos, health insurance cards etc. Matriculation happens at the Student Service Centre on Sedanstrasse 6. For Erasmus and international students matriculation costs 75 euro which can be paid by cash at the University Financial Office (“Unikasse”) in the administration building at Fahnenbergplatz,on the 1st floor. It is a good idea to have this paid first so you can show the receipt when matriculating which will make the process a lot quicker. * Student Card Once matriculated you will receive your student card, which can be used as a credit card at student cafés and for laundry. You can also use it to purchase your Student Semester Travel Ticket. * Library The UB1 (Universität Bibliothek 1) is a 24 hour library and is located on the number 1 tram line at “Musikhoch Schule”. You will need your Student Card to register with the library. Once registered you can receive a key for the lockers and come and go as you please. * Law School KG2 (Kollegium Gebäude 2) is known as “The Law Building” as it is where most of the lectures take place and where the law library is located. Upon arrival check-in at the International department for law students at Erbprinzen str. 17a, where you will meet the Erasmus coordinator and will be given any relevant information about modules, seminars etc. Shopping * Supermarkets Supermarkets in the town stay open until 20.00 and most others until 22.00. All shops are closed on Sundays. There is an Aldi, Rewe and Edeka hidden in the town, all at the bottom of Kaiserjoseph Str. There is also an Edeka and Pennymarkt at Bisschofskreuz which is near a lot of the student accommodations. Most Supermarkets are reasonably priced, with Edeka generally being the most expensive and Pennymarkt the cheapest. * Fashion Freiburg is dotted with many small boutiques and upmarket clothing shops. There are also two H&M stores, both located on Kaiserjoseph str. It is possible to get the train to Karlsruhe where there is a large TK Maxx and Primark Nightlife Being a student town, Freiburg has quite an active nightlife, especially on the weekends. * Pubs/Bars The Isle of Innisfree and O’Kelly’s are the two Irish pubs in the town. Both have weekly events such as table quizzes, karaoke, Scottish dancing, bingo and live music on the weekends. With pints costing between €3.00 and €4.50 (slightly more than your average bar in Freiburg). * Breweries Germany is famous for its excellent quality beers some of which are brewed and served in Freiburg. These include Feierling, MartinsBrau and Ganter. Most beers costing between €2.00 and €3.00. * Clubs Freiburg is not a big clubbing-town however there are a number of bars come clubs in Freiburg. The most popular among students being the “Stusie Bar”. Located in the Stusie Student accommodation it hosts many faculty and society parties. Updates are given regularly on Facebook. Other clubs include Kagan, Othello, Passage 46. Activites * Cinema There are 3 Cinemas in the town. One Multiplex Cinema “Cinemaxx” and two slightly smaller ones “Friedrichsbau” and “Harmonie”. All cinemas show films in German, English and other foreign languages such as Turkish and French. Tickets however don’t come cheap (not even for students) ranging from €9 – €10.50 depending on where you sit. * Sport The university’s “Hochshulsport” and the “SWRF” provide a wide range of sporting activities from Football to Iyengar Yoga. The options differ per season. Most activities are free, however the more obscure or popular ones can cost between €5 and €150. Registration begins at the start of each semester and some run on through the semester breaks. The sports center is located at Schwarzwaldstrasse. * Gyms There are many private gyms located around the town with the cheaper ones a little further out of town. One very popular among students is “McFit” with a €20 monthly membership fee. The Univeristy also offers many fitness classes in the sports center. * The Black Forest Located on the foot of the Black Forest Freiburg offers an abundance of outdoor activities such as skiing on the Feldberg or walks around lake Tittisee. Group excursions and tours of the Black Forest are offered by the SWRF and the Hochschulsport team. The Black Forest is also easily accessible by train.